Beverley Feeney

‘I recently completed Jenny McWhinney’s Reindeer’s Wish in time for Christmas last year. I have completed many of Jenny’s pieces in years gone by and they have all been delightful.

One of my favourites was the Christmas Nativity set, which I loved so much I completed two of them as heirlooms for my family.

I hope I can stitch many more of Jenny’s designs in years to come, as they are a delight.’

Jenny’s designs certainly are a delight Beverly, and your recreation of her Reindeer is just as enchanting as the original; well-stitched, charming and the perfect addition to the family Christmas tree. Pieces like this will no doubt be something your family cherishes and pass down for many years to come; we look forward to seeing what you stitch next.

Mavis Brown

‘When I saw Natalie Dupuis’ The Nutcracker, I knew I had to do it for my sister-in-law for her collection. Trouble was, I have three sisters-in-law! So, for Christmas I stitched one for each of them.

When I was working with 15 needles parked across the top it was a bit of a challenge, but it was fun. My sisters-in-laws were all thrilled.’

‘The next project evolved from experimenting with texture. I also like doing dimensional stitching. I unravelled some multi-coloured yarn and couched it down for the fence post. The wire fence was several lengths of 24-gauge wire plus a couple strands of DMC twisted together.’

‘I love doing birds and flowers and padded them to help them integrate. My sister-in-law saw it at our Guild Open House and fell in love with it so of course I knew that would be her gift at Christmas.

She was so pleased. The design was an extrapolation of a couple of pictures I had seen. It was just going to be one of those efforts which end up in the drawer! It was a lovely surprise to have it appreciated.’

‘The third piece was a long time evolving. My sister-in-law lost her 23-year-old son in a car accident. He took her yellow roses and to the movies each week; they were very close.

I tried numerous design ideas, but nothing spoke to me. Then in November it fell into place.

One yellow rose, not full-blown, because he had not reached his adult potential.

Laying on a table because he has passed from us. Stumpwork is a favourite style of mine. I needed enough gold to make it shine, just as David had shone in all our lives.

Needless to say, it created some emotional moments for us all on Christmas Day and is a memory piece that is treasured.’

‘I never felt confident enough to design pieces until the last couple of years. I always felt I needed to translate pictures into stitches. This piece has taught me how to tell a story in a piece and has sparked some possible ideas to move on to.’

What incredibly thoughtful gifts, Mavis; you are an amazing blessing to your family and they are most fortunate to have both your generosity and skillset. Your Nutcrackers are terrific, and your designs are captivating. The use of different techniques and textures creates visual interest, and the story each piece tells are heartwarming. We’re sure David would be truly grateful to know that you’re helping his mum honour his memory in such a beautiful way; thank you for choosing to share these pieces with us.

Satoko

‘My name is Satoko, and I am an embroidery artist based in Japan. Recently, a friend’s work was featured on Instagram, and I am currently collaborating with that friend on an embroidery project inspired by one of the world’s most beloved literary rabbits.’

‘We are two embroidery artists working collaboratively to create these pieces. One artist brings Blackwork techniques studied in the United Kingdom, while the other contributes embroidery techniques learned in France.

By combining these distinct traditions, we create a unique embroidered storybook world centred around a rabbit motif.’

‘For the rabbit series pictured here, I first embroider the motifs, which are then passed on to my collaborator, who continues developing the pieces into their final form.

Through this process, each work becomes a truly shared creation, combining our individual skills into a single collaborative artwork.’

Satoko, these are simply adorable pieces inspired by the very well-loved Peter Rabbit. The designs are charming and heart-warming, and the stitching is terrific. Combining both skillsets and collaborating to create such a gorgeous series is truly wonderful; keep up the fantastic work.

Are you working on a project in the lead-up to Christmas? Do you enjoy wowing your loved ones with beautiful handmade gifts? Or have you embarked on your own collaborative project?

Whatever you are stitching, we’d love to see it! Email photos of what you’ve created with needle and thread along with a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com